1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to walking aid devices and, more particularly, to a walking aid device with a brake structure.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Persons with compromised mobility, such as the elderly and the injured, not only walk with the assistance of an aid device, but also use the aid device to assist them in stopping the walk instantly. A conventional walking aid device disclosed in Taiwan invention patent 1454256 has a frame which lends support to a user. Leg portions each formed from a sleeve are disposed at the bottom of the frame. Balls resiliently held in place by springs are disposed in the sleeve such that the sleeve abuts against the ground through the balls; hence, a walk taken by the user always begins with the least drag and thus is easy. To stop walking, the user lets his or her body weight be borne by the frame such that the sleeve moves downward to abut against the ground, thereby generating the friction required to stop the walk instantly.
The conventional walking aid device has a drawback in stopping a walk instantly. The instant stop will occur, only if the sleeve is pressed upon and moved. downward to abut against the ground. Before the sleeve is pressed upon, with each ball being in single-point contact with the ground, the frame has so little friction with the ground that it slides across the ground readily. Users of the conventional walking aid device are infirm people who may not be able to press and move the sleeve downward to the extent that the sleeve abuts against the ground. Incapable of stopping a walk instantly, the users are predisposed to accidents.